Many thanks for the info provided, both on and off list.
Two people made thoughtful points which were related to each other. One was
a suggestion that I do something in much more depth, especially discussing
the benefits of selectable antenna polarization. Such has been done in the
past <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/pswitch.php> and with
the turnover in satellite users, may bear repeating with the newer birds as
examples. The other pointed out that while a particular satellite has
antennas structured for a certain polarization, especially with the
magnetically locked Microsats, at any given time the opposite sense may in
fact give the best operation. Someone not experienced might be confused
with the apparent contradictions.
There is a tradeoff of complete data, with all its ramifications, and
quickly available data. Right now, we have complete data, but it is
scattered among many sources, electronic and hard copy, and people who may
or may not have time to answer questions. In two cases, obviously
knowledgeable people who post here did not bother to respond to direct
e-mail, though I eventually found the data elsewhere. This is not meant to
be a criticism, but to underscore that the data, with all the caveats, may
not be readily available when you need it. It seems to me that making such
public data easily available, to be used by an amateur at his or her level
of experience and sophistication, is in keeping with the stated AMSAT-NA
policy of openness.
Alan
WA4SCA
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Sent via amsat-bb@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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